1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cosmetic compositions. In one embodiment, the invention relates to cosmetic compositions having a shade-matched pearlescent component. In a preferred embodiment, the invention relates to cosmetic compositions having both a shade-matched pearlescent component and a pigment component that are blended together to form a cosmetic composition that, when applied topically to the skin, provides a translucent natural appearance and a healthy glow. The present invention also relates to a method for imparting these benefits as well as a method for making these compositions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is generally accepted that beautiful skin has a transparent quality with uniform undertones of color. The basis for this attractive, natural-looking appearance is skin structure. This appearance is influenced by a number of factors.
The outer layer of human skin is a semi-transparent layer known as the stratum corneum. Underlying the stratum corneum is a layer of skin that has the blood vessels and pigments of the body. The reddish hue of the blood vessels, hemoglobin, and the brown/black hue of melanin combine to produce, through the transparency of the stratum corneum, the skin's color. Color cosmetic manufacturers know that matching the skin tone/color is important to provide a desirable cosmetic product, especially foundation make-up compositions. A foundation cosmetic or make-up composition is often used to provide a uniform “base” of skin color onto which is applied other colored cosmetics, such as a blush. A user prefers a foundation cosmetic that not only matches his/her skin color but that also gives his/her skin an even, natural or healthy glow.
The importance of using pigments to match colored cosmetics to the skin color/tone of the consumer is known. However, there has been a need for a foundation cosmetic that does not give the user a “made-up” look, but instead provides a natural translucent sheen, i.e. healthy glow, and natural color. It is difficult, however, to have a foundation cosmetic that covers both flaws in the skin, as well as uneven skin tone, yet still provides the vibrant healthy glow of clean, bare skin. The primary reason for this difficulty is that the components of such compositions that provide the desired color and coverage, such as the titanium or iron oxide pigments, are largely opaque, and therefore obscure the desired vibrant transparency of natural looking skin. In fact, such components often impart a whitish, chalky appearance to lighter skin, and an ashy look to darker skin. Such a whitish, chalky skin appearance is especially evident under certain light conditions, such as fluorescent, ultraviolet and even natural light. Pigments, such as titanium oxide and iron oxides, are frequently used in products such as bronzers that provide a deeper color and a sunned or tanned appearance. However, such compositions are not intended to match the natural skin tone and do not enhance the natural color and glow of the skin. Additionally, even though transparent pigments have recently become available, a cosmetic composition that provides the desired aesthetic appearance of translucent natural sheen has not yet been achieved.
Also, color pigments that are typically used to match skin tone to the natural color of the skin, often cannot achieve the natural sheen (healthy glow) of bare, healthy, youthful skin and, moreover, often provide a dull matte look. Commercial products have incorporated pearlescent ingredients to impart sheen, but these pearlescent ingredients (e.g., one color silver or gold-toned reflectance pearls) often give an unnatural/artificial shiny/glittery look to the skin.
Commercial foundation formulas have also attempted to provide the appearance of healthy glowing skin by including emollient ingredients that impart shine to the skin. However, any benefits achieved by these compositions change over time due to various factors (e.g., the composition wipes off or moves on the skin, or changes due to the secretion of sebum).
Clearly, there are competing factors in the development of a natural-looking makeup that, heretofore, have been extremely difficult, if not impossible to resolve.
Very recently, the cosmetics industry has used a detailed study of the optics of light absorption, reflection and scattering in the skin to attempt to design a product that, when applied to the skin, will convey to the viewer the impression of a natural but flawless clean skin (See, for example, Nishikata et al., Cosmetics and Toiletries 112:39-55, 1997). It is now recognized that the angle of viewing of the skin will alter the appearance to the viewer. For example, the viewer will see more of the red of hemoglobin in the skin's dermis when the skin is viewed at virtually a perpendicular angle. However, the viewer will see more brown, due to the melanin content of the outer layers of epidermis when the skin is viewed at an acute angle.
There have been attempts to understand the optical events leading to a viewer's perception of natural-looking skin by the use of diffuser type ingredients. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,435 to Painter et al. describes a composition that includes silica beads and an interference pigment. While such optical diffusers, reflectors, and refractors tend to provide the impression of skin having an even landscape, i.e., less wrinkles and lines, they also result in a dull, blurred masked appearance, and fail to provide the desired natural, healthy glow.
The present invention provides unique cosmetic compositions and methods of making such cosmetic compositions that provide desired skin tone, namely natural sheen and natural color, and that, when applied, provide the skin with a natural, healthy glow as well as other aesthetic benefits.